I’ve recently seen people draw a connection between the release of Barabbas at the crucifixion (Matthew 27) and the sending off of Azazel’s goat at Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16). Because both instances involve someone, or something, being released on a holy day, people are jumping to a conclusion that Azazel’s goat at Yom Kippur is a prophetic foreshadowing of Barabbas’ release.
Unfortunately, this is a misinterpretation. This is an example where two unrelated events, taken out of context, appear similar to one another but are actually not related. The seeming similarity of the events is coincidental; but, people are attempting to link the two because of a preconceived idea they look alike.
Why do I say the two events are not related?
Problem 1: Separate Holy Days
Azazel’s goat is released at Yom Kippur while Barabbas’ release occurred at Passover. Passover and Yom Kippur are distinctly different holy days, occurring in different seasons, for different purposes. Both holy days foreshadow different functions Messiah fulfills.
Passover is…
Passover occurs in spring.
The first Passover required every household to sacrifice a lamb without blemish so YHWH’s wrath would pass over the household and spare its inhabitants.
The annual Passover is observed as a memorial of YHWH’s deliverance of His people from bondage in Egypt.
Passover prophetically foreshadowed Messiah’s sacrifice at his first coming, to pay the penalty of our sin so YHWH’s wrath can pass over us and we will be spared death.
Passover is personal, we must place the blood of the lamb on our tabernacle to escape God’s wrath and be delivered from bondage and slavery.
Yom Kippur is…
Yom Kippur occurs in autumn.
The high priest offers two goats before YHWH on behalf of the people, to make atonement for sin.
Yom Kippur prophetically foreshadows Messiah’s second coming. As high priest of the New Covenant, Messiah will mediate with the Father on our behalf and make atonement for his people. It’s necessary for us to be purified and perfected before we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Yom Kippur is corporate, we depend on the high priest to make atonement for us so we can be purified of sin and guilt.
The difference…
Both holy days occur in different seasons for different purposes.
Passover saves us from YHWH’s wrath, delivers us from the kingdom of darkness, and begins our journey through the wilderness to YHWH’s kingdom.
Yom Kippur cleanses us of sin and guilt after we arrive in the promised land, purifying us to be a holy nation in the kingdom.
Problem 2: The Lamb of God, Not the Goats of God
Messiah is directly identified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Yeshua (Jesus) is singularly identified as the perfect lamb, given by the Father, so mankind can avoid perishing on the Day of Judgment.
Messiah was never identified as a goat of God. Furthermore, Yom Kippur uses two goats in the atonement process. If we’re going to identify Barabbas as Azazel’s goat then we must accept Barabbas as a co-savior. This would mean Yeshua is the goat sacrificed to YHWH and Barabbas is the goat sent into the wilderness; and, both are necessary for our atonement.
Let that sink in. For Barabbas to be a type of Azazel’s goat, we must accept Barabbas was without blemish (sinless) and a necessary component in our atonement. That is the imagery of the Yom Kippur goats: Both must be without blemish and worthy of presentation before YHWH, and both are necessary to complete atonement.
But, scripture clearly tells us Barabbas was a sinful man and guilty as charged. Barabbas did commit the crime he was accused of, and he was justly arrested and tried. This does not fit the imagery of a sacrifice without blemish.
Problem 3: Barabbas was Released Back into the Community
At Yom Kippur, Azazel’s goat has the guilt of the people conferred upon it by the high priest then is sent to the wilderness. The goat is removed from the community, thereby carrying away the people’s guilt.
But, Barabbas was released back into the community. If we accept Barabbas as a type of Azael’s goat, what do we make of his release back into the community? Was our guilt conferred upon Barabbas? Then, did Barabbas carry our guilt right back to us?
This makes no sense. This demonstrates Barabbas is not a prophetic fulfillment of Azazel’s goat. Barabbas was not without blemish, and he did not carry away our sin and guilt. Other than the outward similarity of being released at a Holy Day, Barabbas did not meet any of the requirements of the Azazel goat. Nor did Barabbas carry out the function of the Azazel goat.
Problem 4: Chosen by Sinful Man
At Yom Kippur, it’s the high priest who offers the two goats before YHWH.
At the crucifixion, it was a Roman governor who offered Yeshua and Barabbas before the sinful members of the community. This was done by Roman tradition, not YHWH’s Torah, to placate the people and keep them subject to Roman authority.
Sinful man chose sinful Barabbas to be released but, at Yom Kippur, it’s YHWH who chooses between the goats.
Barabbas was released only for the purpose of opposing Messiah, to ensure Yeshua was unjustly punished and killed. But, the purpose of releasing Azazel’s goat is to relieve mankind of sin and guilt.
Summary
The apparent similarity between Barabbas and Azazel’s goat is purely superficial. Other than the fact both were released at one of YHWH’s feasts, there is no further parallel.
Barabbas was released at Passover,
by human vote,
according to Roman authority,
for the purpose of opposing Messiah.
Barabbas’ release was a perversion of justice that brought further sin into the community.
Azazel’s goat is released at Yom Kippur,
by YHWH’s high priest,
according to YHWH’s command,
for the purpose of purifying mankind.
Azazel’s goat is released to carry out God’s will of removing sin and guilt from the community.
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